• Williams extends Championship lead. 06 June 2017 14:55
• Luke Williams wins opening races of 2017 British FF1600 championship 10 April 2017 17:31
• Roggenbuck wins 2016 US Run Offs. 27 September 2016 10:07
• GulfSport Firman cars win in UK 20 June 2016 14:33
• New Firman FF1600 car wins. 09 May 2016 17:03
• Roggenbuck wins first 2 Majors in 2016 05 May 2016 16:14
• Firman F1000 wins the 2015 Runoffs 30 September 2015 16:10
• VIR press release 24 April 2015 12:00
• Marcus Pye article. 02 December 2014 16:53
• JR Osborne wins US Run Offs. 13 October 2014 15:37
• Glenn Cooper/Firman chassis continue winning. 22 April 2014 15:49
• Cooper & Firman chassis win both at Atlanta. 26 March 2014 11:37
• 2014 F1000 Press release. 11 September 2013 14:46
• Virginia International Raceway 30 April 2013 15:52
• First F4 race. 30 April 2013 12:00
• F1000 in Western Australia. 22 October 2012 15:58
• 2013 F4 Championship 24 September 2012 09:52
• Coello wins at Summit Point. 28 August 2012 11:45
• McLaughlin wins at New Jersey 12 June 2012 09:44
• Firman Cars in Australia. 16 April 2012 13:45
• Connery opts for Firman in F2000 Series. 15 February 2012 13:34
• Morcom in Firman F2000 for 2012. 07 February 2012 10:05
• SOLD : Niki Coello’s Firman RFR F1000. 06 December 2011 14:17
• Firman Cars win at the American Road Race of Champions. 11 November 2011 16:51
• Vardis wins. 22 September 2011 09:06
• Firman 2 litre wins at Road America. 28 July 2011 16:23
• Firman cars win June Sprints at Road America. 20 June 2011 11:53
• First and second for Coello at SCCA Double National. 10 May 2011 12:36
• Coello and Belling win in F2000 and F1000 03 May 2011 00:00
• First and second for “Coop” at VIR. 19 April 2011 09:37
• La Rocca’s 2nd place in his first F2000 Pro Race. 13 April 2011 13:08
• 2 wins at America’s Road Atlanta. 21 March 2011 12:02
• La Rocca wins 2 litre at Sebring. 15 February 2011 16:23
• Ringel signs with McLaughlin Motorsports 05 February 2011 00:00
• McLaughlin is Florida Tour National Champion. 17 January 2011 15:15
• Firman F1000 car wins at Sebring. 10 January 2011 14:36
• Afterburner and Tomasi in Pro Series. 06 January 2011 10:55
• HP-Tech video of Firman F1000 car 06 January 2011 09:34
• Firman Cars at PRI 09 December 2010 11:38
• HP-Tech Motorsport in the SE division. 04 October 2010 10:43
• Firman F2000 customer cars 14 September 2010 10:12
• New Firman F2000 car launched 24 August 2010 13:43
• Armsup Motorsports and Firman F2000 car 01 July 2010 15:35
• 2010 June Sprints 01 July 2010 15:07
• RFR to supply Gulf Sport 22 June 2010 16:33
• 3 circuits, 3 drivers, 3 wins, 1 car 25 May 2010 07:29
• Firman F1000 wins and sets new records 08 May 2010 11:28
• Burkett wins at Texas World. 18 March 2010 09:24
• Belling wins in F-1000 Pro Series 05 March 2010 11:10
• New Suzuki dry sump system. 03 January 2010 14:57
• RFR at the 2009 PRI Show 16 December 2009 20:13
• “Coop” takes delivery 16 December 2009 13:31
• F1000 Pro Series announced 07 December 2009 10:13
• Niki Coello wins the ARRC. 09 November 2009 12:29
• Summit Point lap record 18 October 2009 11:32
• Road America lap record. 30 August 2009 20:34
• Another new RFR F1000 27 August 2009 15:43
• Niki Coello takes delivery. 26 May 2009 09:44
• Post race news 11 March 2009 13:42
• First race, first win 09 March 2009 16:47
• US race debut 23 February 2009 14:05
• RFR F1000 smashes Florida lap record by 2 seconds 26 January 2009 17:12
• PRI launch and testing. 21 December 2008 11:04
• RFR F1000 SCCA homologation. 07 December 2008 17:41
• First customer car delivered. 18 November 2008 11:22
• New RFR car laps Snetterton in 64.6 seconds 24 October 2008 20:07

As a curious Limey, I went under my own steam to Road Atlanta in the ’80s and, under AUTOSPORT’s local scribe Jonathan Ingram’s tutelage, loved every second. With every passing season I realise it’s too long since I attended with Van Diemen founder Ralph Firman at Mid Ohio in the ’90s. Other than en route to New Zealand, I’ve not been to the USA since 2000, to race in an HSR historic event on Daytona’s 24-hour course, the stage for the 2015 Runoffs, mirroring ’65!

Last weekend the Runoffs returned to California, where the event was inaugurated at the (now defunct) Riverside track. For its 50th anniversary celebration the venue was the magnificently swoopy Laguna Seca, opened in ’57. Monday’s news of a British success there, delightfully for my old friend Ralph’s RFR marque in the F1000 category, made my day.

Based in a modern industrial unit towering over Van Diemen’s long-time home – across the A11 trunk road from Snetterton circuit – Firman’s small concern built its first motorcycled-engined F1000 car in 2009 and has been knocking at the door of Runoffs success. Finally it opened for Colorado’s JR Osborne in the 2015 development car.

An updated chassis – originated by veteran designer David Baldwin – and a switch from Suzuki to Kawasaki engines were the elements of the equation, but Osborne had previous, having won the now-superseded C Sports racing title in 2007, as well as landing a CSR and (smaller engined) DSR double the following year in one of Lee Stohr’s eponymous cars. “JR’s a proper driver, who gave me great feedback,” observed Firman, Emerson Fittipaldi’s first mechanic in Europe.

Prior to the Runoffs onslaught, the hugely experienced Joey Foster tested the new RFR at Donington and noted the step up in performance of the extremely quick lightweight. Osborne led the 15-strong, eight-marque field (which included the Photon of Canadian Jeremy Hill, the two-litre Can-Am racer) throughout.

Two cars were ordered from the US on the strength of it, and two by new agent West Race Cars in Adelaide, Australia, where 3 earlier versions already run alongside the similarly powered US-designed West WX10 sports racers.

Overseen by Ralph Firman himself, the new car was raced by JR Osborne who proceeded to secure pole position by 7/10ths, lead the race from start to finish and win by over 5 seconds, setting fastest lap along the way.

Orders are already in place for the new car, not only from North America, but also from Australia where West Race Cars, the new Firman Cars agents, have taken a further two deposits.

Designated Aus F1000, and with support from Hankook tyres, further details and information are now available at www.ausf1000.com.au

Firman Cars are represented in WA by Andy Stevens who is available at contact@firmancars.com.au or via the website at www.firmancars.com.au

Billy McLaughlin was first to show on Sunday when he brought his Firman RFR F1000 car safely home in first place in the wet conditions of the Formula B/F1000 race. Subsequently on Sunday afternoon, Niki Coello repeated the feat in dry conditions, by winning the Formula Continental/F2000 race in his new Firman RFR F2000 car.

Congratulations to them both.

Glenn Cooper, the US National F1000 Champion finalised a deal with Bill McLaughlin on the stand, and collected the display car after the show.

Bob Wright and Al Guibbord, the series organisers of the F2000 Pro Series Championship visited, and following a useful meeting, came away with series support from Motorama Kart Parts and commitment from McLaughlin Motorsports to run a 2-car team in their series. This was followed by a live internet broadcast from the Mopar stand conducted by Charlie Brown of Race Fan Radio, promoting the 2 litre Pro Series and the new RFR F2000 car.

All-in-all a really successful show, with many friends and customers in attendance, and the interest in the new cars high.